Emergency automatic air train-stop.



No. 788,878. PATENTBD SEPT. 8, 1888.V J. R. VAN DANIKBR. EMERGENCY AUTOMATIC AIR-TRAIN STOP.

ArrLroATxon FILED MAB. 12, 190s. no MODEL.

"Patented September 8, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

JOSElIiLR.` VAN DANIKER, OF PHILIPSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

EMERGENCY AUTOMATIC AIR TRAIN-STOP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 738,378, dated ASeptember 8, 1903.

Application filed March l2, 1903. Serial No. 147,507. (No model.l

To all zal/1,0112, t may concern,.-

Be it known that I, JOSEPH R. VAN DANI- KER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Philipsburg, in the county of Center and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Emergency Automatic Air Train-Stops, of which the following is a specification.

The stoppage of railroad-trains where the engineer fails to notice and to act upon the danger-signals is the object of my invention; and for this purpose I- have designed an automatic emergency stop mechanism adapted to be operated with the usual signals and semaphores at block-stations and elsewhere along the track to release the pressure in the main air train pipe to instantly set the brakes whenever a train is passing or has passed through the signals, and thereby bring the train to a stop.

The accompanying drawings illustrate my improved emergency automatic air train-stop, and in the claims appended hereto I will point out the parts and combinations of parts which constitute my improvement.

Referring to the drawings, Figure l shows in side View so much of a locomotive-engine as illustrates the use of my invention. Fig. 2 is a view looking at the front of the locomotive, showing my emergency train -stop mechanism as applied for use at both rails of the track, the trip devices being located outside of the rails. Fig. 3 is a View showing the tripping device Alocated at the inner side oii' the rail. Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional View showing the track Valve opening or tripping device and the rod connecting it with the signal-station, whereby the slidable stopv or trip device is vertically raised in the path of the train air-brake valve in the event of an emergency for its use. Fig. 5 is a detail showing the slidable valve-opening device 'and the connections for vertically moving it in and out of the path of the moving-train valve. Fig. 6 is a vertical section oi the emergencyvalve in its closed position, and Fig. 7 is a horizontal section of the same.

It will be understood that my emergency air train-stop may be applied to and rendered operative at both rails of the track and in either direction of the run of the train, and looking at Fig. 2 a part of the main train airbring the train to a standstill.

pipe l is seen having a branch 2, depending from the frame at each side of the locomotive and each branch provided with an emergencyvalve adapted tobe operated by the verticallyslidable track valve opener or trip, both the emergency-valve and its trip or opener having a novel construction and cooperating to The emergency-valves shown in Figs. 6 and 7 each consists of a case or shell 3, cicular in cross-section and having opposite side ports 4 4 and an end nippled opening 5, with which the branch air-pipe 2 connects, and a plug 6, ground to iit the inner wallsof the shell, having a central port 7 in perpetual communication with the air-pipe 2, and radial ports 8 S, intersecting the central port and adapted to register with the shell-ports 4 4 when the plug is turned in its shell. The lower end of the shell has a central opening through which a stem 9 ofthe plug projects and terminates in horizontal arms l0, whereby the valve-plug is turned to open the air-pipe in a way which I will presently state. From this construction it will be seen that the emergency-valve is suspended by the train air-pipe, so that its stem hangs centrally from the valve-case with its horizontal arms l0 standing across the rail, as in Figs. 2 and 3. l

The valve opener or trip is atrack appliance and consists of a tubular part, preferably formed like an inverted cup ll, forming a cap or cover to a pedestal l2, which is hollow and is iirmly secured upon a cross-tie. A rod 13, rigid with and depending centrally from the cap, passes through the pedestal, and a lever 14, preferably of bell-crank form, pivotally mounted in the tie, connects this cap-rod with a rod l5, which extends to the block-signal station Where it is provided with suitable operating connections (not shown) for raising and lowering the cap or trip. For this purpose the open end of the cap telescopes with the open top of the pedestal, an inward-standing lip of the cap and. an outward-standing lip of the pedestal serving by their engagement to limit the upward slidable movement of the cap to render it secure and to protect the working connections of the cap or trip from rain and snow. The cap-op- IDO erating rod is housed in a tube 16 and rests therein on balls 17 to render easy the movement of the rod in pullingit at the signal-stabe actuated by the passing train.

instantly applying the brakes.

To render certain the lowering of the caps or trips to their normal positions, a spiral spring 18, Fig. 4, is connected to the under side of the closed end of the cap and to the inner wall of the pedestal to constantly tend to pull the cap or trip downward, and it will be understood that the pilot will at all times pass free of the caps. The caps or trips for opening or turning the Valves may be fixed along the inner or the outer' sides ofthe rails, and I prefer to arrange them at each rail and connect them inr pairs by a suitably-housed cross-rod 19, which forms the pivot-mounting for the cap-operatingbell-crank levers, so that the caps are slidably raised and lowered in pairs simultaneously, and the train air-valves are preferably arranged in pairs one at each side of the train to be opened simultaneously by the train-trips. This renders it certain that the arms of one or both valves will strike the cap and be moved by it, and thereby cause the arm to turn the valve-plug in its shell, putting the valve-ports in communication with the shell-ports and venting the air-pipe, The length of the arms is such that they will pass the caps after turning the valves, and it will be understood that the caps are arranged at suitable places and distances apart along the track. The air-valves may have arms projecting beyond the inner and the outer sides of the rail, so that these valves may be equipped for caps located on either side of the rail, and it will be understood that the normal positions of the arms of the valve-plugs are at right angles to the rails and that the Valveplugs are closed, as in Fig. 6, and that when the plug-valve is turned to open its ports to the air, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 7, such turning of the plug is limited to register the valve and its shell-ports by pins 20, depending from the shell and against which the valve-arms strike when turned by the cap. In this position ot the arms the plug-valve remains open and is subsequently closed by the engineer; but the way in which the plug-valve is seated and housed will keep it closed until struck by the cap or trip. By this construction of stop mechanism the train may be stopped, whether going forward or backward, and it is obvious that the air-valves may be used on one side of the train only and be operated by trips along one of the rails only. It is also obvious that the vertically-slidable caps or trips may be used in harmony with the semaphore or independently of the semaphore and that the trip may be actuated mechanically by fluid-pressure or electrically. It is important to note that the cap or trip is always supported in a vertical position, is slidable in a Vertical line only, and is firmly braced by the pedestal on which it slides, and that the connections by which it is raised and lowered are not subjected to the force of the impact of the valve-arm against the trip by the moving train. It is also important to note that the arrangement of the vertically-slidable trips in connected pairs one at the side of each rail is advantageous in effecting the simultaneous elevation of the Valve-trips by the connection only of one-of the trips with the `actuating-rod extending to the signal-station.

I claiml. In an emergency train-stop, the combination of a valve controlling the airbrake pipe and having a laterally-extending arm, a trip located at the side of the rail and comprising telescoping members, mechanical means connected with the upper member to elevate it into the path ot' the valve-arm, and means for retracting said upper member.

2. In an emergency train-stop, the combination of a valve controlling the air-brake pipe and having a laterally-extending arm, a trip located at the side of the rail and comprised of a lower tubular lixed member and an upper tubular member telescoping with and slidable on the lower member, mechanical means for elevating the upper member into the path of the valve-arm, and a spring for retraeting the upper member.

3. In an emergency train-stop,the combination of a valve carried by the air-brake pipe and provided with a horizontal arm, a Vertically-slidable tubular trip or cap located at theside ot the rail, a fixed pedestal on which the trip is slidably mounted and forms a telescoping cover a rod centrally fixed to the cap orvtrip within the pedestal, a lever pivoted at the base of said pedestal and pivotally connected to the trip-rod and a rod connected to said lever and extending to the signal-station.

4. In'an emergency train-stop, and in combination, a valve carried by the air-brake pipe at each side of the train each valve pro# vided with a horizontal arm, a pair of Vertically-slidable trips or caps one at the side of each'rail, and means connecting one of the pair of trips extending to the signal-station, whereby both pair of stops are simultaneously actuated in the way stated to cause the brakes to be applied.

5. In an emergency train-stop, and n conm! IOO IIO

and carrying said levers, and a rod connected to One of said levers and extending to the signal-station.

6. In a trairvstop, and in combination with the air-brake pipe, an emergency-valve car- 7., In anemergeney-brake, and in combinav tion, a valve carried by the air-brake pipe and provided with an arm, a vertically-slidable cap or trip located at the side of the rail and adapted tO be elevated into the path of the valve-arm, a fixed support on which the cap is slidably mounted, a rod and a lever connecting the cap and the pedestal, a spring connecting the cap or trip and the pedestal constantly tending to pull the trip down, and a rod connected to the lever and extending to the signahstation.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOSEPH R. VAN DANIKER.

Vitnesses:

A. E. H. JOHNSON, THOMAS HOOD YEAGER. 

